Gilles Simon has advanced to the third round of the French Open with a five-set victory over Brian Baker.
The home-crowd favourite took two hours 55 minutes to secure a 6-4 6-1 6-7[4] 1-6 6-0 victory over his American opponent, who received a wildcard entry for the tournament.
Simon looked the far more comfortable on the clay court, with superior footwork and positioning enabling him to dominate from the baseline in the early exchanges.
Despite racing into a two-set lead on the Philippe Chatrier Court, the Frenchman did not have it all his own way and Baker rallied to win the third set on a tie-break.
The fourth set was a breeze for Baker, who took just 25 minutes to level the match at two sets apiece, hitting 13 winners and taking both break points for a 6-1 triumph.
However, those exertions looked to have taken its toll on the American and Simon cantered to a 6-0 win in the fifth to book his place in the next round.
Michael Penkman
